project_nuzlockedexfandomcom-20200214-history
Sandile Line/B2W2
Sandile is available in both Black and White on Route 4, in the Desert Resort, and in Relic Castle. Krokorok can also be found in Relic Castle. The encounter rate is 35% in the first case, 30% in the second, and 40% in the third. Sandile can only be found on all floors, whereas Krokorok may only be found in the Relic Passage connection. The popularity of the Sandile line increased with the release of the Unova sequels, thanks to the expansion of their movepool and better accessibility to their otherwise very late-game moves. Sandile is slightly less common than before, due to more Pokémon being present in the post-Unovan wilderness, but getting one is still fairly easy, and the amazing battling capabilities definitely pay off. The Eviolite will still be needed to train one up without having it nearly die every other battle, but all those troubles will pay off at the long-awaited level 40. The Move Tutors do even better, offering a pool that comprises moves with effective BP from 120 upwards and near-perfect coverage. Important Matchups - Challenge Mode = * Gym #3 - Burgh (Castelia City, Bug-type): Leavanny has STAB Razor Leaf, and is even faster than Sandile, which cannot inflict significant damage on it. Dwebble is more manageable, since its only remarkable move is Struggle Bug, easily outdamaged by Sandile's Dig; Sandile does, however, need the Eviolite to win against Dwebble. Shelmet's Mega Drain is also outdamaged, though Sandile is not ideal to fight against it; same with Karrablast's Struggle Bug. A Sandile with the Eviolite may fight up to two of Burgh's Pokémon excluding the ace, but will likely fall short on the third. * Colress (Route 4): Sandile is amazing for this fight, courtesy of its Ground STAB; Magnemite and Klink are both destroyed by Dig. * Gym #4 - Elesa (Nimbasa City, Electric-type): Elesa only has one Pokémon immune to Dig now, which is her lead Emolga; both Sandile and Krokorok can easily take it down with Crunch. Flaaffy is 1-2HKOed by Dig as Sandile; Krokorok scores a flat OHKO. Lastly, Zebstrika is 2HKOed by Dig no matter the evolutionary stage. Krokorok is capable of fighting even without the Eviolite, but should still be holding it to lower damage output; for Sandile, holding the Eviolite is mandatory. Only Joltik must be avoided by Sandile, due to its Energy Ball, but is 2HKOed by Dig as Krokorok; in this case, though, the Eviolite is required even for the evolved form. * Rood (Driftveil City): Herdier has both Work Up and Take Down, which is a very dangerous combination; only an Intimidate Krokorok with the Eviolite should attempt this matchup, as it is reasonably certain to 3HKO with Crunch (Dig should not be used, as it would give Herdier room to set up) even after Herdier's own Intimidate, and can expect to live three hits from it. Swoobat can be easily Crunched to death. * Gym #5 - Clay (Driftveil City, Ground-type): Clay's Krokorok is easily mirrored, and it has Bulldoze instead of Dig, which gives Krokorok the upper hand until the enemy Krokorok uses Torment; knowing Return may help Krokorok in this fight. Onix has both Sturdy and Explosion, but the move itself cannot kill Krokorok, which can 2HKO with Dig; it is also possible that Onix will use Explosion while Krokorok is underground, yielding a free kill; if Krokorok was leading it needs to switch out first, to remove the enemy Krokorok's Intimidate effect. Sandslash can be attacked with Crunch, but knows Hone Claws and can 2HKO starting at +2; Krokorok should not push its luck against it. Clay's ace, Excadrill, is weak to Ground STAB, but deceptively strong: it can 2-3HKO Eviolite Krokorok with Bulldoze, and even if Krokorok outspeeds on the first turn (not very likely, but possible), it will not from the second turn onwards; Hone Claws also complicates the matchup, since Dig is a two-turn move and a well-timed alternation of Hone Claws and Bulldoze can easily kill Krokorok. Better options, or at least backup, are required for Clay's ace. * Hugh (Pokémon World Tournament): Hugh's Grass- and Water-types may look dangerous, but they are actually so underlevelled that Krokorok can dispatch them without a problem with Crunch; however, a critical hit from either Simisage or Simipour can still kill Krokorok, though, so a better option should be used if available. Krokorok will be fine against the Fire-types and Tranquill, as neither has particularly vicious moves and they will respectively fall to Dig and Crunch. * Cheren (Pokémon World Tournament, Normal-type): Cheren has a more troublesome team: Stoutland has Work Up and Tackle, which is actually scary coming off its base Attack (and the eventual boosts), and Cinccino has both Wake-Up Slap and Bullet Seed, neither of which Krokorok is fond of, especially if Cinccino draws Technician over Cute Charm. Krokorok should preferably just focus on Watchog and beat it with Crunch. * Colress (Pokémon World Tournament): Krokorok's STABs hit all three of Colress' Pokémon for super effective damage; Magneton could potentially have Sturdy, thus taking two hits to beat, but Mirror Shot - its only move that can damage Krokorok at all - is resisted and weak. * Gym #6 - Skyla (Mistralton City, Flying-type): Swoobat can be OHKOed easily with Crunch, and Krookodile can take an Energy Ball from it; Sigilyph is 1-2HKOed and its best move is Air Cutter, which is not that strong. Skarmory knows X-Scissor and resists Crunch, as well as being immune to Dig; Krookodile cannot win. It should also never fight against Swanna, which has Surf. * Hugh (Undella Town): Unfezant is non-threatening and can be easily beaten with Crunch, the Fire-types do not have anything that can endanger Krookodile and are thus safe to Dig, while the Grass- and Water-types should be left alone. Serperior is the most dangerous of the bunch, having Coil and Leaf Blade; using Krookodile against it would only give it turns to set up. * Zinzolin (Lacunosa Town, tag battle with Hugh): This double battle is difficult for Krookodile. Not only it can be outsped by Cryogonal, which nearly OHKOs with Ice Beam; even if it managed to use Superpower and beat it before it can move, Golbat's Acrobatics would then become a 2HKO against Krookodile due to the Defense drop. It is best for Krookodile to stay in the sidelines until Cryogonal is taken down; Sneasel does not know any STAB moves, and is much easier to take down. Krookodile may even resort to Superpower against it if Golbat is already down, since Garbodor's only physical move is the relatively weak Body Slam and it can be taken care of with Dig. * Gym #7 - Drayden (Opelucid City, Dragon-type): Druddigon has Revenge and can nearly OHKO, while Krookodile struggles to even 2HKO; it should not battle Druddigon. Flygon is largely annoying due to Earth Power and Dragon Tail, which is a move Moxie Krookodile hates, though Intimidate carriers will find it beneficial; it goes down to a few Crunches, usually 2-3HKOed. Altaria should be fought by another Pokémon if possible, since its Cotton Guard quickly renders physical moves useless. Haxorus has Dragon Dance and can quickly become a powerhouse even with moves that have relatively low base power, such as Dragon Tail; Krookodile just barely manages to 3HKO, but may or may not avoid healing range, and after two Dragon Dance uses Haxorus becomes threatening for entire teams. Better counters should be used if available; if Krookodile is the only possible counter, it should ideally have Intimidate and switch in to nerf Haxorus' Attack. * Zinzolin (Opelucid City): The two Cryogonal are destroyed by Superpower, but only if Krookodile can outspeed; it needs to have a Speed-boosting nature and either Speed investment or some levels of advantage to pull it off without getting hit by Ice Beam. Weavile has Ice Shard, which is dangerous below half health, but not otherwise; again, Superpower beats it easily. * Shadow (Opelucid City): All the Pokémon in this team are laughable for a Krookodile with Fighting coverage, since Superpower OHKOs everything. Krookodile should use Dig against the two Pawniard if its ability is Intimidate, otherwise the Attack drops from Superpower will prevent it from OHKOing Absol. * Gym #8 - Marlon (Humilau City, Water-type): Carracosta's Sturdy and Shell Smash combination achieves an OHKO with Scald if Carracosta outspeeds on the second turn; this is not likely, but Krookodile with Speed below 112 should avoid fighting it to stay on the safe side. Wailord 2HKOs with Scald and must be left alone; Mantine or Jellicent can be beaten with Crunch, since Krookodile can take a hit from them (if its health is full), though only if its Cursed Body does not activate in the latter case. Unless healed, Krookodile is also incapable of defeating both. * Zinzolin (Plasma Frigate, tag battle with Hugh): Krookodile is better off not taking the lead; having a Cryogonal on the opposite side of the battlefield during a double puts it in a difficult situation, since Superpower can kill but also exposes its Defense, which is not good against a Liepard with Slash. Krookodile can beat Weavile with Superpower, but needs the grunt's end of the battlefield already cleared out to avoid taking a Steamroller from Scolipede; otherwise, it can chime in after Zinzolin's Pokémon are defeated, and help against the grunt's own. This still assumes it may need help against Scolipede, whose Steamroller 2HKOs on average. * Zinzolin (Plasma Frigate): Single battles are much easier for Krookodile, which can OHKO both of the Cryogonal if it can outspeed them, even counting the Attack drop from Superpower on the second turn. If Krookodile fights against the Cryogonal, it must switch out against Weavile, which could otherwise OHKO with Ice Shard at -2 Defense. * Colress (Plasma Frigate): This team is almost entirely easy for Krookodile, which can hit everything for super effective damage with either Crunch or Dig; Earthquake is also an option, if it already knows the move. Krookodile must take risks while fighting Klinklang, however; it needs to use Superpower and then Dig to win, in order to pop its Air Balloon, otherwise Klinklang is likely to 2HKO with Gear Grind. Still, at -1 Defense Krookodile can take a hit from full health or close to it, so long as it is not a critical one, and kill Klinklang the next turn. * Shadow battle #1 (Plasma Frigate): The Pawniard will go down easily to Dig. The third Pokémon is Absol, which is OHKOed by Superpower. * Shadow battle #2 (Plasma Frigate): More Pawniard, Dig is the way to go. Accelgor has Bug Buzz and sky high Speed, so Krookodile should not come close to it. * Shadow battle #3 (Plasma Frigate): Again, more Pawniard, more Dig. Then there is Banette, which is equally easily knocked out by Crunch. * Black/White Kyurem (Giant Chasm): Ice STAB from a legendary Pokémon with over-the-top base stats will literally be the last thing Krookodile sees in its life if it comes anywhere close to Kyurem. Never let Krookodile in its line of sight. * Ghetsis (Giant Chasm): Krookodile will be an excellent ally in this battle. Cofagrigus goes down to two Crunches, though it unfortunately negates any Moxie boosts Krookodile may profit of with its Mummy. Toxic should be healed if used, since Cofagrigus is highly likely to use Protect the turn after poisoning the enemy. Eelektross is 3HKOed by Crunch instead; Seismitoad defeats Krookodile with Drain Punch, do not approach. Toxicroak and Drapion can be beaten if Krookodile holds the Expert Belt; Dig is sufficient for Toxicroak, but Drapion requires either Earthquake or for Krookodile's health to be above half, since it will need to take an X-Scissor before it can KO with Dig. If Krookodile manages to outspeed Hydreigon it can 2HKO with a combination of Rock Slide and Expert Belt-boosted Superpower; a single Superpower is dangerous, as while it can KO in one turn after Hydreigon's Life Orb takes away 10% of its health, it also opens up a possibility for Hydreigon to OHKO with Dragon Rush if the damage roll is high. * Hugh (Victory Road): Unfezant now has U-turn, which is both super effective against Krookodile and triggers the switch; it is inconvenient for Krookodile to lead, as it would be taking a Bug move and then need to attack an unknown opponent afterwards, likely a Grass- or Water-type that it would have to later switch out against. Simisage, Simipour, Serperior and Samurott are all not worth tackling, since they put Krookodile at an exceedingly high risk of dying; Simisear and Emboar are safe, however, since their Brick Break can be anticipated by an Earthquake OHKO. Bouffalant's Megahorn is terrible, and Superpower is not an OHKO unless Krookodile's Attack is already at +1 or higher; Moxie specimens are more likely to beat Bouffalant than Intimidate ones, though Intimidate switch-ins allow Krookodile to 2HKO safely if it starts at full health. * Elite Four Shauntal (Pokémon League, Ghost-type): Crunch 2HKOs Cofagrigus and then OHKOs the rest; Chandelure should be OHKOed by Earthquake instead. Depending on the damage taken by Cofagrigus' Grass Knot, Krookodile may need to be healed before beating Drifblim, whose Aftermath chips away a quarter of Krookodile's health. * Elite Four Marshal (Pokémon League, Fighting-type): The least threatening attack on Marshal's Pokémon is STAB always-critical Storm Throw. Krookodile has no hope of winning against anything but Sawk, which can be 2HKOed with Earthquake since Krookodile survives a Brick Break from full health, or Lucario, simply OHKOed by Earthquake if Krookodile outspeeds (Speed-lowering natures are the only ones likely to need to worry about this). None of Marshal's other Pokémon should be approached. * Elite Four Grimsley (Pokémon League, Dark-type): The battle requires Krookodile to hold the Expert Belt and switch in and out relatively often; Superpower kills Liepard, but Krookodile needs its Defense back to +0 to first weaken Scrafty with Earthquake and then kill with Superpower. It then needs to switch out again against Grimsley's Krookodile, no matter its ability; even Moxie specimens cannot OHKO the enemy Krookodile after the effects of Intimidate. Bisharp is OHKOable even with just Brick Break; Absol is OHKOed only by Superpower for certain. * Elite Four Caitlin (Pokémon League, Psychic-type): Crunch and the Expert Belt are required to win against Caitlin. Musharna and Gothitelle are relatively powerless against it, sporting not very effective moves at best; Sigilyph and Reuniclus both have moves that can 2HKO Krookodile, respectively Ice Beam and Focus Blast, so Krookodile should either be kept healed against them or have Moxie, which removes the issue of Crunch potentially not OHKOing Reuniclus. If Krookodile's health is high, one Ice Beam from Sigilyph will never beat it unless it scores a critical hit. Krookodile must avoid Metagross, though, which is nearly certain to OHKO with Hammer Arm and the Life Orb; only Moxie specimens are once again exempt from this, since they can OHKO with Earthquake starting at +1 in Attack. * Champion Iris (Pokémon League, Dragon-type): Her lead Hydreigon has Surf; it can be knocked out only through a combination of Brick Break and Superpower, as a single Superpower is highly unlikely to OHKO even with the Expert Belt, and Surf is a certain kill with a critical hit. However, if Krookodile holds a Fighting Gem, the OHKO with Superpower is secured. Druddigon is extremely dangerous for any Krookodile without Outrage, since it can 2HKO with Focus Blast boosted by Sheer Force and the Life Orb, and Outrage only OHKOs after a Moxie boost; using Outrage is likely a bad choice in Set mode as well, as it leaves Krookodile wounded and vulnerable to the incoming Pokémon. Aggron is easily OHKOed by Earthquake, since its ability is Rock Head and not Sturdy. Archeops will most likely outspeed and, in that case, only a Krookodile that heal stalls may win, since the first hit brings it down to Defeatist range without killing it, but a second hit can KO Krookodile even after Defeatist takes effect; in addition, the Flying Gem gives it a small chance of OHKOing on the first turn, so the battle is doubly risky. Someone else in the team should preferably be taking care of Lapras, though a fully healthy Krookodile can 2HKO with Crunch and then Superpower and live a Blizzard in almost all cases; at +1 in Attack or more, Superpower can simply OHKO. Lastly, Haxorus simply cannot be fought by Krookodile; Dragon Dance guaranteed X-Scissor to kill on the second turn, and Krookodile does not even manage to 2HKO. * Post-Game: Krookodile is highly likely to prove itself as amazing as it has always been. The rematches against the Elite Four will also make it see a considerable amount of usage, thanks to its type advantages. }} Moves When caught at its earliest level, Sandile knows Sand-Attack, Torment, Sand Tomb, and either Bite or Assurance. Bite is marginally better, and the other moves are all fairly useless. The upside is that the TM28, Dig, is nearby, so Sandile will get access to a great move shortly after capture. By level, it will not get much for some time: Mud-Slap at level 19, which barely does damage and has an unreliable side effect; Embargo at 22, which it will basically never ever use; Swagger at 25, which is one of the worst possible gambles against anything but Pokémon with zero physical moves; and finally, Crunch at 28, which will become Sandile's best long-term Dark STAB, and second best STAB in general after Earthquake. Together with Dig, which Krokorok can learn at level 32 if it was not taught by TM beforehand, good coverage is assured for a sizeable chunk of the game. Ignore Scary Face at 36, as this line is fast enough on its own, and Foul Play at 40 will also generally not be worth a moveslot, since Krookodile's Attack is fairly high. If Krokorok does not learn Foul Play, Krookodile will attempt to learn it again at level 42. Sandstorm comes at 48, and might work very well in monolockes or otherwise type-limiting challenges for support purposes, but not in standard teams; Earthquake, at 54, is the main dish of this line (and every other Ground Pokémon ever) and easily wrecks everything in side that is not a Flying-type. Last but not least, Outrage arrives at level 60, if Krookodile is trained that far; while being essentially limited only to the Elite Four segment, and the postgame if it is nuzlocked, it is much more useful in post-Unova than in the prequel games, due to the Champion having several Dragon-types on her team. This line has a good number of TM options available. Dig is accessible from early on without a need to wait for the level-up learning, and will do considerable damage until Earthquake level. Both Rock Slide and Stone Edge provide useful extra coverage to hit Flying-types, and Krookodile will generally want to carry one of them; which one depends on play style, as some situations require more accuracy and some require more power. It is worth noting that Krookodile can also learn Hone Claws, and with one setup turn, Stone Edge becomes perfectly accurate. Brick Break also works well for coverage, though it is unlikely to be powerful enough to trump Krookodile's STAB, and Dragon Claw is a more than valid alternative to the more risky Outrage. Bulk Up can be considered for support, as it will work especially well on Intimidate Krookodile. Unfortunately, Dragon Claw and Bulk Up are both exclusive to the postgame. Move Tutors offer even more to Krookodile. Aqua Tail is uncharacteristic, but it can be learned nevertheless, and can be very helpful in monolocke challenges to obtain further coverage. Outrage is a tutored move as well as a level-up move, which would be useful to have early, but the Outrage tutor is unfortunately in the postgame. There is also Superpower which, together with Crunch, provides near-perfect coverage; it also works fantastically on Moxie Krookodiles, as the Moxie boost can compensate for the Attack drops (though not for the Defense) by knocking out opponents one after the other. Last but not least, Stealth Rock is an option for more defensive sets. Recommended moveset: Earthquake, Crunch, Outrage, Superpower Recommended Teammates * Fire-types: Krookodile is great, but also has several weaknesses to be covered for, and it is difficult to do so without overlapping at least one of them. While Fire-types are also weak to Water, they dispose of Grass-, Bug- and Ice-types very well, helping out Krookodile against the majority of its enemies; Grass-types in particular are not uncommon in Unova, and Fire Pokémon cover them best. ** Good Pokémon that fit this description include, among others: Emboar, Simisear, Arcanine, Magmortar, Darmanitan, Chandelure * Electric-types: The Water-type weakness is even more glaring in teams that have Krookodile and a Fire-type on board. Grass-types, however, add another Ice weakness, which is terrible in a region such as Unova, packed with Ice-types in the late segments. Instead, Electric-types should be used to counter Water-types. ** Good Pokémon that fit this description include, among others: Ampharos, Magnezone, Jolteon, Zebstrika, Galvantula, Eelektross * Ghost-types: Fighting-types are a major threat for Krookodile, but both Flying- and Psychic-types have at least one weakness in common with Krookodile. As such, it is appropriate to have any Fighting-types walled by Ghost-types. The Fighting specialists of Unova are rare, but usually quite strong, so an immunity to their STAB is better than a resistance, not counting that Psychic is also available for most Ghost-types to learn. ** Good Pokémon that fit this description include, among others: Cofagrigus, Jellicent, Chandelure Other Sandile's stats Krokorok's stats Krookodile's stats * What Nature do I want? Anything that lowers Special Attack is great, Adamant being the best. Jolly is second best, and will likely allow the sand croc to outspeed almost anything in sight. Naughty is also okay, and better than Lonely since Intimidate Krookodiles have remarkable physical bulk. * Which Ability do I want? Both of them are really, really good. Intimidate is more for defensive crocodiles, and Moxie is more suited for the offensive ones, or those that do not have a very high Attack stat to begin with. The former might be preferred for Set mode players, due to allowing safe switch-ins more easily, but both will work out well regardless of nuzlocke rules. * At what point in the game should I be evolved? As soon as possible. Ideally, Krokorok should be evolved before fighting Elesa, and Krookodile shortly after Skyla. Sandile is really frail; Krokorok can hold its own with the Eviolite until evolution, and the item is often necessary to prevent untimely deaths. * How good is the Sandile line in a Nuzlocke? Completely worth it. The moveset upgrade it got from Black and White, plus the general variance in the level curve, gave the line a great boost. If it was fantastic before, now it is absolutely amazing. Anyone who captures and trains a Sandile is guaranteed a great payoff in the long run. * Weaknesses: Fighting, Bug, Water, Grass, Ice * Resistances: Poison, Rock, Ghost, Dark * Immunities: Electric, Psychic * Neutralities: Normal, Flying, Ground, Steel, Fire, Dragon Category:Black 2/White 2 Category:List of Evolutionary Lines with Completed Analyses